TNT Renews MEMPHIS BEAT

TNT Renews MEMPHIS BEAT

TNT is ordering a second helping of its hit series MEMPHIS BEAT, starring Jason Lee (My Name Is Earl) and Alfre Woodard (Three Rivers). &nbsp;TNT has ordered 10 episodes for the second season of the series, which also stars DJ Qualls (Hustle &amp; Flow). &nbsp;The show is slated to return in 2011.

MEMPHIS BEAT premiered June 22 and quickly established itself as one of the summer’s hottest shows. &nbsp;In its first season, MEMPHIS BEAT averaged 4.7 million viewers and ranked as one of ad-supported cable’s Top 5 new series of the summer and the #1 Tuesday series among adults 25-54. &nbsp;MEMPHIS BEAT was created by Liz W. Garcia (Cold Case) and Joshua Harto (TheDark Knight). &nbsp;The series comes to TNT from George Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures and Warner Horizon Television.

“MEMPHIS BEAT is a real treasure: a slightly off-center crime drama with great actors, memorable characters and a soundtrack steeped in Memphis sounds,” said Michael Wright, executive vice president and head of programming for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). &nbsp;“We look forward to another fantastic season next year.”

In MEMPHIS BEAT, Lee plays Dwight Hendricks, a quirky Memphis police detective with an intimate connection to the city, a passion for blues music and a close relationship with his mother. &nbsp;Woodard plays Lt. Tanya Rice, a demanding boss determined to keep Dwight on a short leash. &nbsp;Qualls co-stars as Davey Sutton, a uniform cop who considers himself to be Dwight’s protégé.